Where the Bees Dance

A woman appears, coming over the mountain with her seven children and one lone mule.  She seeks a land grant in Yell County, Arkansas.  So this tale was recounted to the author by an old-timer living in the locale of another Yell county novel, True Grit by Charles Portis.

This story’s figure of grit and grace is Sarah.  Sarah Apple, a 19th century woman, is seen through the eyes of family members, neighbors, and strangers.  A traumatic childhood accident has left her scarred for life.  Nevertheless, she is resilient, and finds comfort in beekeeping.  Sarah and her beehives journey from Maryland to North Carolina where she discovers love and acceptance.  Sarah and her husband Elisha seek to improve their family’s future away from the confines of heritage; first in Tennessee, and later in Arkansas.  Hardships, harrowing adventures, and poignant moments shape Sarah’s life journey.  Vivid descriptions of 19th century life in the expanding West provide color and texture to this woman’s story until we at last, hear from Sarah herself